Microsoft Support: Worth the Cost?

Late last year I was working on a big issue that was taking me too long to resolve and when I was nearly at the end of my rope, I called a friend of mine at Irving Bible Church to see if he could help. He earnestly thought about it for a minute and finally confessed that he had no clue, but then offered "Have you called Microsoft Support?" I balked and reminded him of the $245 per incident cost and he asked me how much time I had spent thus far. Good point. My friend spoke further and said that each year he puts the 5-pack of per incident support calls into his budget. "Chances are good that I'll only use 2 or 3 all year", he said, "but it's nice to know I have a safety net. Plus, they're already approved." Never thought of it like that before. Sounds like a solid strategy.